Art of buoyant garment construction



Jan. 26, 1932.

E. W. BLACK ET AL ART OF BUOYANTGARMENT CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 20, 1926 E IIINVENTQRS rues Geo/yea ATTORNEY,

Patented Jan, 26, 1932 ERNEST W. BLACK AND GEORGE L. HALL, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,

ASSIGNOES, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASfiIGNIiIENTS, 1'0 SWIMSAFE PBQIJUCTS COIM- PANY, OF MEMPHIS, TENN A CORPORATION OF MAINE ART OF BUOYANT GARMENT CONSTRUCTION Application filed February 20, 1926. Serial No. 89,?06.

One of the phases of this invention relates to improvements in that class of garments rendered buoyant by inclusion or addition of buoyant, fibrous material, and anotherphase of the invention comprehends the art or process of producing the garment.

Among the objects in view are the increasing in buoyancy and decreasing in actual Weight of a garment and the saving of sub stantially all excess material, the saving of expense, the improvement in flexibility and capacity for conforn'iity of the garment to body movements, and the production of a light. durable. comfortable garment having full capacity for floating the user.

A further object is the provision of a sufli ciently buoyant garment to sustain the body of the wearer while possessing limpness equal substantially to the limpness of ordinary bathing suit fabric.

-With these and other objects in view as will in part hereinafter become apparent and in part be stated. an embodiment of the structural features of the invention oomprehends a garment having one or more containers for buoyant fiber filled therewith to the point of distension substantially without excess filling or compression. whereby the fiber is left in a substantially open condition.

Those features of the invention comprehending the art or method assure the production of the garment with the fibrous material retained open and substantially only sufficient fiber used to distend the container for such fiber substantially without compression or rendering the fiber compact.

The invention comprises certain other novel constructions. combinations and arrangements of steps of an art or process as will hereinafter become apparent and be subsequently set forth in the appended claims.

Tn the accompanying drawings, 4'

l igure l is a perspective view of a fragment of a garment in the course of being constri'lctcd in accordance with the present in.- vention.

Figure is a detail. perspective view of one of the filler devices segregated for clearness of disclosure, parts being shown in broken lines for illustrating the preferred mode of use.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation of'a different form of apparatus for carrying out the invention.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a garment made after and including an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is an enlarged, detail, fragmentary cross section taken approximately on the plane indicated by line 5-5 of Figure 1-.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary, sectional perspective, the section beingtalien on the plane indicated by line 6-6 of Figure 4 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 4c of a garment embodying the present invention, upper portions being broken away and nonbuoyant trunks being indicated as surround ed by the buoyant skirt portion of the garment.

It has been proposed to make garments, such as bathing suits and life preservers,l1aving fibrous buoyant elements. Various arrangements have been suggested, and, in the case of bathing suits, the most commonly proposed construction includes a hat or layer of buoyant fiber placed between two sheets of woven fabric and quilted or otherwise effectively stitched. Kapok or illana silk has been proposed for use as the buoyant fiber in such structures, but from a series of tests we have repeatedly proven, that any given area of a garment will displace approximately only one-fourth as much water (or, in other Words, is only one-fourth as buoyant) as the same amount of the same fiber found in a given area of the garment when the fiber is open, that is, fully loosened up and spread out. In other words, where a quilted garment of the character just described has its areas divided into squares, and one of them is cut away and the fibrous material removed and opengd fully, and then four similar squares are cut from the same garment and left in the initial condition. the opened fibrous material from the single square will usually float as much Wei ght or more than can be floated by the four connected squares in the original condition. Thus it becomes obvious that the compressing or compacting of the fiber incident to batting and quilting materially detracts from buoyance, consumes excess fibrous material (which is quite expensive), and produces a finished garment of considerably more actual weight than justified by the buoyancy attained.

In other instances of garment construction, buoyant material containers or pockets have been proposed, some intercommuiiica ing and others independent, and in the iiistances of intercommunicatingcontainers useof the objectionable hat of fibrous material has been suggested. In the instances of noncommunicating containers, thesuggestion has been for the use of the fibrous material in the form of a twisted wad or the packing of the fiber by a tamping instrument producinga condition-of even-greater compactness than in. the instance of quilted bats. In all these proposed instances, buoyancy is reduced, cost of production increased overthat which would have been the cost had only the ap,

proximate quantity of open fiber been utilized, the weight of the garmentrendered excessive, and flexibility has been largely eliminated. Lack offlexibility'is an objection even with life preservers, suchas life belts, life jackets, and the like, but with bathing suitsthe'com-pressed fiber in the containers rendering the garment as a whole stiff, boardlike and unyieldingjis especially objectionable.- In such proposed constructions there is no possibility of conformity to body movements, .andthis fact is accentuated in some forms of the proposed constructions wherein it has been suggested that tufts or protuberances be provided to cause the garment to contact with the body onlyatspaced pointsforifacilitating donning and removing such 3 garments.

Allof these difficulties are overcome b thepresent invention in which substantially only the amount ofopen fiber necessary for retainingthecontainers distended is employed with practically no compression or packing,

ofthc fiber whateverso far as possible. The construction of a garment in this manner is rendered possible-by i3l1611121111181 of delivery.

of the fiber to the containers, as will hereinafter appear, and. would-not be possible from the use of batting, wadding, ortightly tamped fiber.

Referringto the drawingsby numerals. 1 indicates a body of a garment made in the form of a bathing suit having legs 2, allof the ordinary conventional contour and finish, so far as appearances are concerned, as.

the average popular bathingsuit, except for the character of the material. of which the suit is formed. Such material consists of two layers of fabric 3, as best seen'in Figures 5 and 6, stitched together at intervals, as seen at 4, 4,-to form longitudinally disposed containers or pockets having-the appearance n thefinishcdgarment of longitudinal flutingf conditionithat is, in a condition in which the fibers are substantially free from crowding or packing. Some slight compactness may be unavoidable, but it is the intent and purpose of the present invention to avoid compactness asfar reasonably-practicable, and it is tiiis freedom fromcompactness of, the fiber which is intended to be described by the word openi as used throughout this.

specification and in the appended claims.

To enable the filling of the several-tubes or containers making up the ribs. 5 to' the.

pointofdistention while retaining'the fiber in open condition, special care must be exercised, and an essential feature ofthe present.

invention. includes thev art by which this .result is obtained.

method ofpracticing the art, there is shown in Figures land 2 structureswell adapted to facilitate such practice. A supply hopper (3.

of any appropriatesize andshape discharges through a tube? and a rotary blowerS into a distributing tube 9. The bloweri8 is driven by any suitable source of power, suchias an electric motor 10, and the shaft of theblower. is providedwith a pulley 11 engaged belt: 12 extending to and actuatingtheshaft.13 of;

an opener let arranged in the, lower portion of the hopper 6 forinsuring'openi ng of the fiber from the hopper just before it enters the tube 7. Any appropriate openerl linay be utilized, and it is to be understood thatia.

more effective mechanical operation of the opener 14 may be utilized, and it is to be understood that the more QfiGC'iZ-lX BIDGClHUllCZLl operation of the opener 14 indooseningup the discharging.fiber.the more acceptable will be the results obtained- The tube 97 may lead directly to a single discharge pipe, not illus-,'

trated, and has, in practice, been found to. be very successful when so arranged. However, as a matter of saving intimeand labor, it may be preferable to cause the tube 9 to'communicate with a manifold 15communicating with a series of discharge tubes 16. Asmaliy V of the tubes 16 may be connected with the 11'121111f0ld15 as may be found to successfully operate up to the point of having atube 16' foreach of the tubes'of the garment 1. Oneend of each of the tubes making up the ribs 5 is closed. as. for example, the upper end, as bv stitching or otherwise as may-be )referred while the: opposite end is left open by leaving 1 as clearly seen in Figure 5, and

In order to .illustrate,.so' far as. may be done by drawing, apreferred the. lower terminus of the two pieces of fabric 3, I3, unattached, thus leaving a flap 1T hanging loose and a shorter flap 18 also loose which are adapted to be connected upon the completing of the filling of the several containers or tubes making up the ribs Each flexible tube to is provided at its free end preferably with a quickly detachable union ll) adapted to be hermetically locked to a nozzle :20. Each nozzle 52h consists of a rel atively short tube, as seen best in Figure 2, havin a troughlike extension 21 of a length preferably equal to the length of the respective garment tube or container making up the respective rib 5 into which the trough 21 is to be intrmluced. ll hile the trough :21 is shown as formed of substantially one-half of a tube, that is, the trough is substantially semi-circular in cross section, a greater or less are than a semicircle may be provided, and each trough 21 may, in fact, be almost a complete tube with. only a longitudinal slot extending along its upper portion for enabling manipulation of the parts as hereinafter described.

To fill the tubes making up the ribs 5, a l'roughlilie extension ill from a nozzle 20 is inserted in the garment tube or container for practically the full length thereof, after the manner indicated in Figure l, and where the tubes 16 are supplied in multiple, a troughlike extension 21 is inserted in each of the tubes of the garment. The insertion is made up to the point where the nozzle 20 extends within the tube of the garn'ient after the manner indicated in Figure As the filling of the several garmenttubes is a mere duplication of the filling of one, one only will be described. After the troughlikc extension 21 is in place, as stated. the mechanism described is turned on and the blower 8 delivers open fiber thrtuigh the nozzle 20. The air which accrmmanies the fiber keeps the fabric 3 above the. open portion of trough 21 distended and the fiber slides out along the trough 21 to the end of the trough, that is to the end of the garment tube in its open condition. and care should be exercised to *atch the filling process so as to avoid possibility of any undue compressii'ig or compacting of the fibrous material by allowing the machine to operate after the tubes have been filled. (last as soon as the tube is all, the motor 10 is stopped, and an appropriate instrument is pressed down on the fabric of the garment tube at the open end thereof, that is, across the end of the nozzle into the trough 21 after the manner indicated by the thumb seen in Figure Any other instrumeotality susceptible of doing the work of the thumb may be substituted therefor. The thumb or other instrument having been thus inserted into the trough ill. the nozzle E20 with its troughlilte extension 21. is withdrawn from the garment, leaving the fiber within the garment tube in its open condition and with the garment tube distended after the manner seen in Figure 5. Withdrawal of a number of nozzles 20 sin'iultaneously may be effected by the use of a comb-like instrument with a tooth of such comb for each nozzle shaped, proportioned, and adapted for functioning after the manner of the thumb seen in Figure 2.

It is to be observed that after the several garment tubes making up the ribs 5 have been thus filled and the filling instrument removed, the flap 17 which is preferably pendent from the outer fabric of the garment is folded inward and stitched at 23 to close the lower or formerly open ends of the several fabric tubes. This closing action is preferably done in a manner to leave an open space 24 communicating with all of the several fabric tubes so that space is provided for expansion of the fiber incident to becoming moist or to use ofthe garment.

Because of the character of the fibrous filling of the several containers or fabric tubesof the garment, the walls of the garment are found to be laterally elastic to a considerable degree, that is to say, the garment can be stretched in a sidcwise direction with respect to the ribs 5 somewhat after the manner of jersey cloth or knitted goods. Also, the character of filling leaves the garment 1 a very large degree of flexibility in every other direction, so that the garment will readily conform to the outline of the body and respond easily to body movements, and at the same time throughout many tests the garment has proved beyond question its effective buoyancy and capacity for permanently sustaining the body of the wearer in a floating condition in water.

The garment 1, of course, is susceptible of being made up in any form or shape according to any style or requirement desired by the user. In Figure 7 is illustrated a similar garment at 1 having a skirt portion 2 in lieu of the leg portions 2, and in which skirt portion is secured the ordinary trunks 2" of the conventional bathing suit. Obviously, while the trunks 2 are shown as of the usual non-luioyant type, they may be otherwise constructed, and every conceivable variation may be indulged in the matter of suit construction for body garments for purposes herein indicated within the, intent, meaning and purpose of the present invention.

Furthermore, it is entirely possible to fill the fabric tubes of the garment with open fiber in other ways than that just described, as, for example, after the manner indicated in Figure 8, in which the hopper 6 having the opening mechanism 1 1 is shown as arranged with its discharge tube 17 formed directly with a. nozzle 20 extending into the fabric tube 5. tends into the nozzle 20 in position for de- An injector nozzle 25 ex donning or removing the garment. structure as shown in the drawings includes shoulder straps 26, 26, with button-holes and li-vering' blasts of compressed: air or other pressure fluid for'drawing'thefiberfrom the tube 17 and discharging the same into the fabric tube 5 1n an open condltlon. This particular The structure of the garment and'its con-- formity to styles are not subject to any appreciable restriction or limitation whatever, because ofthe presence of the buoyant containers, owing to the flexibility thereof. Furthermore, the open condition of the fiber assures ready and" quick drying after use of the garment, and also enables the garment to be'easily and effectively packed for shipment in a rolled or folded condition. While the parallel scams 4 are-shown as connecting thetwo-sheets of fabric 3, 3, to form the garment tubes or containers, such tubes may obviously be otherwise formed if desired. The making of the garment 1 is almost as simplean operation as that of the construction of" an ordinary bathing suit, and no special provision is required for facilitating The buttons 27 for facilitating attachment and detachment and enabling easy removal or putting on of the garment. The fabric 3, 3' is preferably of'appropriat'e soft, woven material. and substantially non-elastic, but may beof any other suitable material, such as jersey or knitted goods, and will vary in thickness and other characteristics accord- "ing to the wlsh'es of the user.

The structural features of the garment lend themselves effectively to the use of silk as the outer fabric 3, since the presence of the buoyant fiber precludes the objection heretofore raised to the use of silk in too close adherence to' the flesh. of the wearer.

What is claimed is r 1'. A buoyant garment comprising a body of fabric stitched to form a series of tubes,

and open, buoyant fiber within and distending the walls of the tubes, the tubes having aplace of intercommunication initially freefrom fiber for allowing expansion of the fiber. i

2. The art of constructing buoyant garments comprising forming a fabric body with a container and pneumatically filling the container with buoyant fiber.

3'. The art of constructing buoyant. garments comprising forming a fabric body rename it with a container: and pneumatically filling. the containerfwitll buoyant, fiber inthe pres: ence of arigid guide for-the fiber.

4. The art of constructing buoyant gar.-

ments comprising forming: a fabric bodywith a container and pneumatically filling the container with buoyant fiber in the presence of arigid. guide for the fiber, and. with. drawingthe guide while retaining the fiber in. the; container.

Intestimony whereof we afiix our signa-- tures.

ERNEST W. BLACK. GEORGE L- HALL. 

